Welcome to the Aid is English podcast.
My name is Jack, and I'm here with my co-host, Sochul.
And today we're going to talk about Sochul's job search for a job teaching English in South Korea.
So, Sochul, what kind of sparked your, I guess, interest in coming back to Korea?
Actually, I saw an Instagram post about like, basically about ways for people to flee America now that our current administration is turning everything to crap.
And...
It's just gotten really cruddy here.
You know, our everything like the economy is really bad.
Wages are kaput.
I mean, the same is true in Korea, but you still have like health care.
Like you have like basic human rights in Korea.
Yeah.
We call that like a social safety net and there are no like thugs pulling people off the street and putting them in jail without – Yeah, like due process.
Like there's no ICE, weird like ICE agents like getting people off the street.
There's no –
Just weird stuff, like a woman has, you know, a miscarriage or something and she gets thrown in jail.
Right, right, right.
Like, we're just kind of getting into a weird, scary, authoritarian state.
So, a lot of people are thinking of fleeing America, you know.
Exactly.
And I understand and I'm I'm kind of on that same ship of kind of wanting to flee America.
And and you have the, and you have the like option to do it too, because you have the, you have a university degree.
You have experience teaching overseas.
You're a dual citizen, you know so.
You spend a good amount of your time in Mexico, in Oaxaca anyway.
So it's not like a huge leap to get a job in South Korea.
It's not that scary.
Yes, it's not.
It's actually not really scary at all because it's like i already am a little familiar with korea and you know.
So i'm familiar with quite a few things and also i just love adventure and like getting to do stuff.
So so i was excited about it and i was like you know, i'm gonna start looking at jobs again because um, medicaid is gonna get cut for us in america and And medical care is super expensive in America.
And our Medicaid and Medicare are two different programs.
One is for elderly people and one is for low-income people.
And they both are basically just national health insurance.
Like that's really all that it is.
Right.
In America, we don't have national health insurance for everybody like you do in like –
In Korea or in China or in Japan.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
So in all these countries you have, you know, national health care, but we don't have that in America.
So these programs are basically our national health care, but they're going to cut them.
And so we won't have national health care anymore.
Our wages are really poor already.
Yeah.
Food stamps are going to be cut.
I don't depend on food stamps or anything like that, but a lot of people do depend on food stamps, especially people who live in food deserts and stuff where there's not a lot of food or options or money or jobs.
They're basically just really...
Screwing over, not just like people who are low income, but also the middle class, which I mean.
This is a big reason.
Middle class is like disappearing in America.
No one can own a home.
It's a nightmare.
So basically on that basis, I was like you know what I'm gonna get you know a job in Korea, because I miss Korea.
Having like if for those who don't know, Jack often calls it life in a bottle.
And it's so true.
You get to Korea and you have an apartment.
You have national health insurance.
You have a job with you know making at least decent money, because you're not paying for your apartment or anything.
So like that's already a load off your shoulder.
Um, and you have a national pension.
They pay into your national pension.
You get like severance pay at the end of your contract.
Like it's very, I mean, everything's kind of figured out for you.
So it's great.
Like yeah, you don't have to think, you don't have to plan.
You know, you just kind of show up with your bags and they're like here's your apartment.
Um, This is your bank account.
Here's your card.
This is where the school is.
Usually it's within walking distance or a short bus ride.
There's great infrastructure here when it comes to public transportation.
It's kind of like in America.
By the way, it's not that people – that don't have medicaid or medicare don't have health insurance.
It's that health insurance is usually offered through your job.
So if you lose your job, you lose your health care.
That's the problem in america.
Um so, just for for our listeners out there might be like confused and thinking that so many people don't have health insurance, most people have health insurance through their jobs.
That's the way we provide it.
But in korea or in other countries um, it's like uh, just a, a right as a citizen.
You just get it through the, the national health care system.
Um so, being able to go to the doctor and just pay like a very small amount, you know, here it's like you go to the doctor, it's like three dollars and then uh yeah, you get the medicine and it's like four dollars, you know.
So, total seven dollars, you know, and you're like uh, I don't know if I told this story, but when I came to Korea for the first time, when I moved to Thailand to teach English 20-some years ago, I still had the trauma from living in the America system.
And so I would not go to the doctor because I was so scared of just getting a huge bill, you know.
And I didn't realize that it was so cheap.
That, you know, was so I.
No one had really explained it to me when I was in Thailand.
Um, and then I came to Korea and I had the same kind of um, we could say aversion to going to the doctor.
I would just, I would just ride out my, if I got sick, I would just ride it out.
You know, it would be two or three weeks of being sick and then I would get over it instead of taking medicine.
But I was so sick.
I had a really bad, uh, sinus infection.
Um, that.
That's where, like you're uh you're, you know, uh Nose, and in your face you feel a lot of pressure because there's a lot of fluid in there.
And I went to the doctor and it was like $16 or something like that when I had to pay.
And I thought they made a mistake.
I thought they forgot a zero, right?
So I was like, what do I do?
Do I tell them that they made a mistake or do I just pay it and run away?
So I just paid the money and ran away, right?
And then I went to the pharmacy and it was like $6.
And I was like, what?
What is going on here?
This is something is wrong.
I paid that and I ran away.
And I was like, I just got away with like the big the crime of the century.
Like highway robbery.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I went to school the next day and I go, I went to the doctor and it was $16.
And then my Korean colleagues went, oh, my gosh.
That's so expensive.
And I was like – because I forgot to use the insurance that I had through the system.
I didn't give my insurance card because I didn't know I even had insurance.
I should have paid like $3 or $4, but I paid $16.
I paid the full price as if I were just walking off the street without like any – extra insurance through my job.
And so I just learned a huge lesson that day.
That was like you know oh my gosh, it's a totally different system over here.
Like you're not, it's not, they're not trying to rob you, you know?
It's, it's, it was amazing.
So anyway, I just, that's like a funny, a funny anecdote there.
Yeah.
I had kind of a similar thing happen when I first got to Korea.
Like I didn't have my insurance yet and I got really sick and they were like okay well, why don't we take you to the doctor?
And I was like, Oh, like I heard like, isn't it really expensive?
Cause I don't have my insurance yet.
And then they were like, yeah, it is really expensive.
So like we'll, we'll take you to this one doctor that the lady knew or whatever.
But he sucked, my god.
It was terrible.
But they they, they didn't charge me and so then i went, i just like couldn't, i don't.
Anyway, it's a long story and we'll get into it another time, but my basic, basic things.
I ended up going to the doctor on my own because i like threw up in the in a cab and then, like street, i was so sick, and then i just ended up going to the doctor.
I just couldn't handle it anymore and they were like um Cause.
My coworkers were like when they say it's so expensive, they don't mean America expensive.
So I had a feeling like it wasn't expensive anymore.
Cause they told me that.
And so I went in and like my American coworkers told me that.
And so I went in and then I was like, um, yeah, it was like 30 bucks or something.
And like all together with my medication and um, for like weeks of medication.
By the way, I remember like going and you know I was like, Oh my God, why did they?
Why was everyone like yeah, it is expensive without like 30 bucks?
And you're like, this is so cheap.
I could never see a doctor for this price in America.
See a doctor for five minutes in America.
And it's, you know, 400.
You know it is literally is 400 without without um, like tests or medication or anything.
Just seeing the doctor is like you do a blood test and anything, get any medicine a year.
It's a thousand, a thousand dollars now yeah, thousands of dollars.
It's thousands of dollars.
So that's why it's really crazy.
So i was thinking like you know, all this is going to be cut.
And then like met uh, health insurance through your employer in america doesn't cover everything.
Yes, some some plans are terrible, you know, and there's networks and you don't have like options.
Yeah, you don't have any other options because you're like and, as jack said, there's networks, so there's only specific doctors that you can go to, and sometimes all the doctors in your network are terrible and it's expensive.
Like you're they're get they're taking money out of your paycheck to pay for your health insurance and it's a lot of money.
And then you still have a deductible.
So, like you're paying a premium, which is what's known as like you're paying like out of pocket for the insurance to begin with and then you're paying a deductible, so like, sometimes like up through seven thousand dollars or like more.
Sometimes the health insurance doesn't actually even cover anything.
Yeah, it doesn't kick in until after you spend five grand or usually a five hundred dollar deductible, something like that.
But I mean, it's just it's, it's crazy.
Yeah.
We'll, we'll get back on track here as a, as a Korean.
Right.
Right.
We, we, we had a, well, maybe we'll cut this into two part one and part two.
Part one can be health insurance in America.
The context and part two can be why I'm looking for a job in Korea.
So.
Yeah.
Right.
So I, so anyway, because of all of these things, I did end up looking for a job in Korea again.
And mostly it was terrible, Jack.
I mean, it's just not quite the season to look for it.
And I encountered that.
I only messaged one recruiter, I think, so I just need to message more recruiters as well.
But it was very... They were offering pretty good salaries now.
The salaries have increased, but...
Some of the jobs were just weird.
A lot of them did not have, like, there's, like, specific hours.
You're not really supposed to work more than 9 to 6.
If you do work 9 to 6, you get an hour break.
But most of the jobs were saying, you know, 9 to 6.40 every day, and you only get a 40-minute break.
I was like no, and then you only get 11 days paid vacation a year, because that's the law and that's what most of these like hog ones will give you is only 11 days off per year.
So that wasn't great, um.
And then i had one really weird interview, jack.
I was like i was interviewing this guy, he didn't know how to use zoom.
Okay, so his, so the american teacher, she did seem really nice.
She had to set up zoom for him.
And then he was like um, this was in like gimhae, by the way, so it's like not even a place people really want to go or whatever.
So he gets on.
He gets on this um, like call and uh, he seems nice and everything, but he is.
He is weird, bro.
He starts singing phantom of the object in the middle, oh my gosh.
And he tells me he used to be a musical actor in korea and he's the director of this hagwon.
Can you imagine?
Like he's saying it for a really long time too, not just like a snippet.
And then he was like, what do you think?
I think this is wildly inappropriate for a job interview.
Like, why are you singing Phantom of the Opera?
So then he asked me if I sing and I said yes.
And then he was like, he tried to get me to sing in the job interview.
I was like, I'm singing in the job interview.
And then it was very awkward.
And this man was like weird.
And then also he was, he asked me, one of my friends made the funniest joke.
I'll tell you in a minute.
But he asked me how old do I think he looks?
Oh gosh, he's just a.
What was he like 60 something or whatever?
Like he was, he is in his 40s.
He's in his 40s okay, so he's not that old.
But like i didn't know what to say.
You feel me.
And so i was like like uh, 38 or something.
You know, i didn't know what to say.
And then he was like um oh, thank you, i'll have to buy you a coffee when you come to korea.
I'm actually in my 40s.
I like this guy's such a creep dude.
It was so creepy and cringy.
And then i was like um, you know oh, my god, i was.
I was telling my friend about this later and he's like next time a man asks you that, tell him you think he looks like 60, like way older.
I was like okay, i'll do that.
I didn't know.
Like You know, women are socialized to be polite, so it's like what do we even say?
Like, it was very weird.
Yeah, no, this guy, this is Red Flag City.
Like you know, when it comes to getting paid or any, you know he could probably just like Phantom of the Opera this guy is literally could turn on the dime, you know, just quickly become a monster too.
You know what i mean.
Like you.
Just, you don't know.
Um yeah, you know a tyrant.
You know um yeah, he was telling me like the most oh, the most important thing is that the kids know that you can be scary.
I was like i don't, i don't think i can do that.
It's not uh, my teaching style.
Yeah, I was like I like to, because he asked me like what's my discipline style?
And I was like, positive redirection for children.
Definitely.
Like, I don't, you know, like scolding doesn't usually work or shame based, you know, tactics.
So especially long term, you know, we're in this class for a year with these kids.
So I like positive redirection because that usually encourages them, you know, to be, to work.
Yeah, and it works out.
And so I said positive redirection, which any, like any school that teaches children worth their salt, is looking for that answer, you know, And he was like, oh well, they have to know that you can be scary.
I was like, what the heck?
Oh, my God.
And then he was imitating what he does to the kids.
And it was like psychopath behavior.
He was like, I'm nice and we can all get along, but I can also be very scary.
I was like, why would I intimidate children like that?
It was very bizarre, you know?
Like I no, i was like i don't think that's really my teaching style.
This is like uh, i think probably he just starts singing cats, you know, every time they're misbehaving.
Oh my gosh, it was very weird.
And he literally had like a.
He literally, he was so like nice, just like you were saying like well, not nice, but like wildly inappropriate, but pretending to be nice, you know, But then, like when he was imitating, like how he acts with children, his whole face changed.
And I was like, this dude is, like, a sociopath.
Yeah, this director is... This is too many red flags.
You can't put yourself in a year with someone like that.
You know, they're too...
Volatile.
Exactly.
It's too risky.
It might be fine, but it might be a nightmare.
And you don't want to be locked in for a year with someone who's unstable.
Yeah.
I definitely had a nightmare experience my first time in korea.
Um, so i didn't want that again.
So i was like this is a red flag.
So then i had another interview with some lady from another hagwon for the same, it was polly which i think i didn't know it was polly when i went to the interview, but then they told me it was polly and i really i was like oh, and the reason is because everyone says don't work for polly, and the reason is they have like really long hours and there's no prep time, like all of it is just teaching hours.
Like you're teaching from 9 to 6, 40 every day.
But that's like you're just it's a money-making machine.
You know yeah, it's all teaching hours.
So i had that and the director was kind of weird.
She was like oh emily, that's my daughter's name, because i was using my first name, you know emily yeah, and i was like this lady is creepy, like you know i'm.
She's trying to like um we're, we're all a big family here me, like i'm not falling for that yeah yeah, it just it seemed weird.
It gave me all fives.
And then the last interview i had was very weird.
It was like for an adult hog, one like a like business english i guess um, kind of thing it, but like it just gave me very weird vibes.
She was like This one was like, This one was like more than red flags.
This one was, like... Is this legal?
I don't know.
There was something weird about it.
She was, like... Oh, are you okay with, like, taking, like, trips together?
Like, all of us take trips together?
I was, like... What?
This sounds like trafficking.
Yeah, yeah.
It was very weird.
I was like So then I, just After that interview, I just wouldn't talk to the recruiter anymore.
I just, like, blocked him.
I was, like... And schools.
Like, these people are very...
Weird, like, I don't know.
So just for anyone looking for a job in Korea out there yes, there are weird, very weird jobs and people.
So you do have to be careful.
Absolutely.
You have to keep looking and keep looking because there are good hagwons.
What you need is maybe to get on some groups with the teachers, because the teachers are the ones that know everything.
If it's good or not, the directors will always tell you it's great, you know, but um yeah, and the recruiters will always tell you it's great, because the recruiters know that they have a network of of directors and they just want to get paid too.
So um yeah, it's uh word of mouth is very useful in these situations um, but yeah, i guess.
Yeah, you just have to keep your eyes your, your ears open, i guess, and just keep like kind of um, looking at some of those like uh uh, what do you call those?
Like chat room kind of things like uh yeah, like the facebook groups and stuff.
Yes yes yeah, ask teachers, you know, is anyone Some of those Facebook groups that say we're looking for a replacement at this hagwon, it's a teacher that's posting it.
And then, you know, then you can talk to that person and they'll be more honest, you know, with you.
So...
Right, about what it's really like.
So yeah, keep your eyes peeled if you do look for a job.
I guess mostly your audience is not going to be looking for jobs in Korea, but well, they might.
You never know.
Anyway, so yeah, keep your eyes peeled.
But I guess I'll update you guys some other time.
Hopefully it all turns out well.
I have been thinking about teaching in China.
A couple of my friends who were teaching in Korea for a long time just moved to China.
Um yeah, a little like this year.
So um, the pay is higher in china as well, and so there's like some other benefits, so i am considering that that could be really cool.
Yeah, that could be really cool, for sure.
Yeah yeah, so yeah, i don't know.
Students, let us know in the comments what do you think i should do and do you think this interview was as bizarre as i do i?
And now Socha and I are going to sing Fan of the Opera as we exit this episode.
Yes, the end of the episode.
All right, students, see you guys next time.
Make sure to follow us on A to Z English Podcast at all the different platforms that you usually listen to your podcasts at.
Send us an email at atozenglishpodcast at gmail.com and comment down below.
And we'll see you guys next time.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
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